does any one here owns a IC Laptop?

I'm thinking in getting my first laptop but I got little money, and walmart has a IC Power 15" laptop 1.6 GHZ mobile AMD Sempron 2600+.
But I can't find any information about who build them, any body knows anything about this laptop, who build it and is it any good ? please help.
Thank you

 

I just got mine today, and I love it. From what I can tell from my few hours of use, it is a fantastic deal. I got everything I want and need in a laptop (cd burner, wireless, 6 cell battery, big screen, etc.) plus the machine is extremely quiet. And for only $650! So far I'm loving it.

 

I don't own an IC Power Laptop, but did find their website. It's

http://www.icpowerhouse.com/

I'm kinda' drooling over it as I write. I'll have to check it out. At their website I think the model number is CN5560 and you can download the manual in .pdf. If you get one, let me know what you think. As inexpensive as it is I can't afford one quite yet.

-- Charles

 

I am planning on purchasing an IC Power CN5560, and I was wondering if any of you know how much video memory it has. I cannot seem to find how much it has.

Thanks,
Brandon

 

Imaginedust, how long does the battery last? is it good for games? does it get too hot?, thank for your help

 

Received this laptop from Walmart yesterday. I am not a gamer but overall it looks as a very good deal, though its wireless card has worse reception than my desktop computer. I tested the battery life by watching videos online and it lasted for about 2 hours with active wireless. The wireless card can be easily turned off with an external switch to conserve energy and also there is a switch that toogles between normal and energy saving mode, i.e., lower processor speed and deactivated fan.

 

Hi,

How is the sound quality and the screen brightness.

Last does it operate smoothly or is it when you launch an app it takes forever or freezes up.

Thank you

 

I am very interested in this laptop also. I have compared it to many others and Walmart is now advertising for $550 and that is WITH shipping. 1.6gig, 256mb RAM, 40gig HD, CD-RW/DVD...I don't see anything close to this for this price. The memory is expandable and I found a 512mg stick for 50 bucks online to put it at 768 if i get it.

If anyone can post more updated reviews on the speed, noise with fan, battery life, and anything else- it would be really appreciated. I am very close to click the purchase button and don't want to miss out on this deal. The only thing I can think of is that support for it may not be so great since the manufacturer is very small and the website doesn't look so great.

I am not sure about exact video memory, but I do know it uses some of the 256mb that comes with it because if you go to their website and look in the FAQ, it mentions something about it sharing the system RAM.

 

Have had an IC power notebook for several months. It's actually quite quiet, battery is good for just over 2 hours. WalMart sells a larger battery for $80USD, good for 4+ hours. Display is good enough to watch DVD's. CD burner works well. Not as fast as my desktop unit, but plenty fast. Programs load quickly and switching between them goes quickly also. Rated against my Fujitsu and Toshiba I would give it a better grade for the price. Oh...the price also includes a 1 year warranty! Dell and others charge extra for that. WiFi could be better but have not had any serious problems. Low power mode works well, especially if your just entering text or similar functions. Touch pad and "scroll" pad are really nice. You can vary the touch control to suit yourself.
Comes with WinXPHome and has some proprietary backup software that will not let you mess up the OS. The website has all of the downloads for drivers, etc. and the site is well laid out so finding the right one is not a problem.
It's a shame that most notebook sites are fixated on Dell, Toshiba and the like. Some of us are looking for a good notebook at a reasonable price, not a high performance gaming system.
Overall I would give the IC Power a 97 out of 100. It is heavy! 6.9 pounds.

 

I purchased the CN5560 several weeks ago and am happy with my purchase.

There are two problems with the notebook. Straight out of the box it runs at 798MHz instead of 1.6GHz. Tech support says to change Power Options settings from laptop to Home/Desktop. I have it changed but the speed is still stuck at 798MHz. In order for me to run it at 1.6GHz, I have to restart the OS.

The other problem is the Phoenix BIOS goes into recovery mode. This happens when you install new software and the software requires you to restart the computer for the changes to take effect. The BIOS detects a problem with this and asks if you want to recover the disk or cancel & exit. This may become a problem if a friend borrows your laptop and doesn't know what to do. If he/she clicks on recover, your disk will be wiped clean and you will lose all your data. Your notebook will restart like it was first turned on from the store. I wish there was a way to turn this function off.

Maximum memory you can install is 1GB. Do not buy the PNY branded memory from CompUSA. Buy the Centon branded memory as that one works. I have two 512MB SODIMMs installed.

The wireless has a very weak range. I had to buy a wireless range expander to get a good signal. Too weak when compared with other laptops.

There are three quick use buttons at the top of the keyboard. First one is for Internet Explorer, middle one is for Media Player and third is for shutting the fan off for quiet mode. I wish all three buttons were customizable, unfortunately you're stuck with what they can do.

The notebook runs rather cool even at 1.6GHz(if I restart my **** laptop). You can keep the laptop on your lap and not burn yourself. The fan is rather quiet.

IC Power did not provide you with a serial port, parallel port or docking port, which enabled them to make this laptop rather slim. Serial and Parallel ports are out of date anyhow so you wouldn't need those. Docking ports are for people who travel between office and home.

This notebook was aimed towards college students on limited funds. I think IC Power has done it right for the budget-minded person. You can't beat the value you get in a sub $600 notebook. You can barely get a refurbished laptop for that price.

The notebook has a convenient media port in the front, which accepts Sony Memory Stick and MMC/SC cards. It sucks that it does not accept XD or Compact Flash. Smart Media is phased out so you wouldn't need that anyways.

There are driver updates for the laptop out already. One is for the wireless mini PCI card and the other is for the touch pad. The touch pad update is really good. It allows you to set the sensitivity of the touch pad, reducing errors while typing and having your palms hit the touch pad. Very neat idea.

I honestly can't rate on how well the laptop will hold up to daily use/abuse for over a year. At that price, it would be cheaper to buy a new laptop than to repair it once the warranty expires. I wish there was a way to purchase an extended warranty despite what others have said about them(waste of money).

Notebooks aren't as easily repairable as desktop pcs. The parts cost a lot more to replace.

I have emailed my two concerns to tech support, in regards to the CPU speed issue and the BIOS recovery issue. I'll see how well their tech support is, how responsive and how courteous they are.

Overall, I would recommend this laptop to anyone who needs a cheap one, and a brand new one as well. I wouldn't trust a used laptop off of ebay. I have been burned before and would not want a refurbished/used laptop.

Stan

 

I called IC Power tech support. Horrible. They told me to install the PowerNow capability to enable the CPU to run at 1.6GHz.

When I try to install the PowerNow, the OS asks if I want to remove all of the components. The tech support guy said uninstall and reinstall the PowerNow to have my CPU work at 100%.

Boy was he wrong. The uninstall and reinstall did not change the CPU speed from 798MHz to 1.6GHz.

I feel like I bought a flawed-design item. The design is flawed that you can't use the notebook to it's full potential. Kinda like buying a car but you can't drive on the freeway because it can't go 55MPH.

What a disappointing purchase.

Stan

 

I just got off the phone with tech support again. Well, more like they wanted me to get off the phone with them. Tech support was not helpful at all and she hung up on me.

WalMart only has a 15 day return period on electronics, so I can't return the notebook. I don't want to own a notebook that has crappy tech support. They need some help in communication skills and not just shut out the customer. Without customers, IC Power would not exist.

I have dealt with a lot of tech support staff from other manufacturers. IC Power is the worst I have seen by far.

Stan

 

Hi,

Actually i have a question and i have answer.

Answer

The answer to the above question saying the laptop is running at 798mhz. The speed fluctuate based upon the amount of demand. For example if you run wordpad the proccessor does not need much speed to run it. However if you play a game. Then it will go up based how much it needs.

Like i had bought an HP Amd 1.6 Turion 64. Most of the time the speed is at 798 but if launching a dvd it will go to 950mhz then if launch a heavy game sucking memory or playing streaming music, and more intense work. You will see it will shoot up the cpu usage.

If the proccessor runs constantly at 1.6 the battery will drain rapidly. Like when i ran at 1.6 with a 12cell battery which should last upto 8 hours that battery died in 3 1/2 hours when running at 1.6.

Question

Now my question i wanted to ask is how is the screen is it bright and like glossy and colorful. What i mean to say some laptop have this grainy view while other have the brightview that is bright and glossy and colorful.

How is the audio on the laptop. Are the speaker clear and enjoyable or are they just crappy speakers like others laptops. I notice that the HP Compaq have the best speakers. Since the IC Powers are 18bits full duplex

The last question is the touchpad big or it small.

 

Yup, I figured that out with AMD Power Now! Technology. I installed the AMD Power Monitor and notice the fluctuations in CPU speed on demand.

The screen is grainy like the older style laptops. It's not bright and colorful. However, the brightness is good for me to work at a computer desk with a desk lamp, etc.

Tech support for IC Power is sub par. The tech support people don't know what they're talking about. I had to find out about the AMD Power Now and the AMD tools for download, all on my own. I called Tech Support several times.

The notebook is a very good deal, for what it's worth. $550(I get a Wal Mart 10% discount), if I only waited a bit, I could've got the laptop for $500.

The touch pad is rather large, as my palms keep touching it.

Stan

 

What is the max RAM it'll hold?

 

Max is 1GB.

It has two SODIMM slots.

If you do buy this laptop, do not buy the PNY branded SODIMMs. They are not compatible with this laptop. I kept getting the BSOD.

I went out to CompUSA and bought the Centon branded SODIMMs and they are working perfectly.

I got 1GB of RAM in my laptop and am enjoying it.

Stan

 

I'm sorry, I forgot to answer your other question about the speakers. The speakers are horrible. I have an old Compaq Armada with a 266MHz CPU(shows you how old it is) which has better speakers than this IC Power.

I cannot stress how horrible the tech support is. I just hope this laptop will last me 5 years, then I'll buy a new one.

Stan

 

I purchaced a IC CN5560 for my mom and was quite impressed with the performance of the computer. I found the screen to bright enough and sharp. This is an excellent starter for anyone looking for a laptop with WiFi. I had no reception problems on my WiFi net I have setup in my home with no signal amplifier. The cpu operates at the speed appropriate for the app it is running. I personally own a HP dv4030 with a 1.7mhz pentium-m centrino and I could not tell much difference in the operating performance. At does generate a fair amount of heat and I would recommend users protect their laps if thats where their going to use this. The speakers are nothing to get excited about but serve their purpose.

All in all for the price it gives plenty of bang for the buck.

And for you complainers for $500 what are you expecting gold plating??

 

I want a little more from their tech support. They never answer emails, they never answer their phone, after waiting 10 minutes or so, the automated system asks me to leave a message.

If the tech support was better, this laptop would be a super good deal.

Stan

 

darellknox & ef9
Have either one of you attempted to play a game on your ICPower(CN5560)notebook?
I'am very curious about this laptop!Ans yes it is dirt cheap indeed.
ef9 how much is the 1GB ram for this laptop?You got a centon ram memory right?

 

ef9 I also read that it supports 333/400 which did you get?

 

Sorry, I'm not a gamer. The most heavy use this laptop gets is email, surfing the web with multiple IE windows open. So the CPU barely gets used.

A Sempron will always be a Sempron and I used to play Quake III and Unreal Tournament(all versions) and I know they are all CPU and graphic intense. If you plan on buying a laptop for gaming, I doubt a Sempron or Celeron will do the trick.

You can set aside how much RAM you want dedicated to video, and I set the max 128MB because I have 1GB loaded in there.

The RAM cost me around $100 for two 512MB modules. That's not including the CompUSA discount(Small Business Owner) and the rebates. After discounts and rebates, I probably paid $70 for 1GB of memory.

Anyone want to buy a 256MB module(the one that came out of my IC laptop)?


Stan

 

I didn't know there were two versions of the CN5560. I know WalMart sells an IC Power laptop that is higher, it has the 15.4"LCD rather than the 15" that I have on mine. I would assume the one I have is 333MHz Front Side Bus, as the RAM modules it's capable of taking are PC2700 or PC3200.

I got a pair of PC3200 SODIMMs installed as we speak.

Stan

 

Cool,no I won't be gaming with it.Just was wondering.How many pins?200 or 184

 

200 pins

Stan

 

Okay,200-pin
Oh,I got your email

Thanks!!

 

Im also thinking of buying this computer for my small business: 2 laptops, 1 for me and 1 my bussines partner. Do you guys think this computers are good enough for running apps like Quickbooks and Powepoint presentations? I will definetely upgrade the ram to 1 Gb. Is corsair a good brand? Patriot? :budget:

 

Corsair will be perfect!!!Very reliable memory module indeed.

 

Has anyone been sucessfull in finding replacement batteries for this laptop. The one they sell at Walmart does not fit this model. The website has no listing for a replacment for this modle either.

 

I was wondering if there is any cross refference for the Simplo Manufacture. Cant find it on Google anywhere.

 

what everyone seems to be forgeting to mention about this notebook is that u can now get a 4 year warrante and the processor is upgradable to a 64 bit which makes it a ridiculouse deal for $650.

 

jthe19
Where is that deal at?

 

I have the icpower CN8650, and I called the company they pointed me in this directions. They told me that the battery number was 259IA3 and was made by uniwell. When I plugged that number into google I got this site amoung many shop.store.yahoo.com/ yhst-7265593087285/259ia3battery.html Hope that helps!

 

Where did you purchase your CN8650 from??

 

so how does this laptop work for games? i dont mean anything nuts. the highest game i would play on has reqs. of 900mhz, 32mb gfx card, and 64mb of ram. My current pos (win98, 500mhz, 16mb video, 126mb of ram) could handle most of my games except this one

also are these things Wifi ready? or do i have buy a card or something. Anyone had one crap out yet?

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4025846&dept=3944&path=0:3944:3951:4070:132960

this is the computer right?

 

I have had this notebook for 3 months now. I upgraded the processor to the Mobile Athlon 64 Clawhammer 3000+, running 1 gig of pc2700 (Looking to upgrade to pc3200) 100gb 5400rpm hard drive and this joker runs faster than my last laptop that this stuff came off of. (Presario 2190) I put a slot loading dvd burner in it as well. (Pioneer DVR-KO5) Yopu have to do a little work on the face plate but it fits & works well. It runs Unreal Tournament 2003 at 1024 X 768 flawlessly! I know that with the last few notebooks that mobile Amd cpu's throttle up and down even when you don't use them so that was a no brainer. The range of the wireless seems a little restricted but I believe that to be due to all these power lines around here. This notebook has TONS of potential still so don't kid yourself. This was the 1st truly upgradable notbook I have ever came across. The presario "craptop" I pulled the processor & hard drive from couldn't touch this one in the performance category. The external monitor hookup lets you mirror or "extend" your desktop which the presario wouldn't let me do. both screens at max resolution and color depth flys like any desktop would. I won't BS you though, the battery life got a little shorter but not by much. as soon as you unplug it drops to 350 mhz but will throttle up when the need is there.
With the Sempron it did ok for games but I feel the Athlon 64 put the finishing touches on this laptop. I played Unreal 2 The Awakening with the sempron & it seemed a little hesitent. The Athlon 64 trucks through it. Quake 2 & Quake 3 does alright though. You will void the warranty but it can be upgraded like a champ. When you pop th bottom cover off you'll see what I mean about easy. Use thermal grease on the processor & when you fire it up the laptop will recognize right off. You can put up to Mobile Athlon 64 3400+ socket 754 in it (2.2GHZ I believe) with pc 3200 it will run at 400mhz fsb. You can use a socket 754 desktop processor but it runs hot as hell (Marsh mellow roasting hot)& the battery will be gone in like 1/2 the time just from checking emails and nothing task like that. You can find the processor on pricewatch.com & ebay under pc laptop parts. Batteries like the dude said earlier in the discussion just put in the part number and they can find them, they are out there.I hope this helps you out.

 

How tough is it to install a new processor in this notebook?... :base:

 

well, im going to buy mine tonight or tomorrow, depending on if any of the closeby walmarts carry it cant wait!

btw, is this thing wifi ready? or what do i have to buy

 

Yep,

It is 802.11b/g ready

 

Hi hedghawg71

Did you use the original stock CPU cooler? How does it work out with the heat when you run it at full power?

Thanks

 

I noticed on the wallmart web site, this laptop has a DC-in port? Does this mean it will run from an external battery? Has anyone connected an external battery pack to this laptop?

 

The DC-port is for the regular poweradapter.

 

Thanks Talisker, but I was referring to something like this

http://www.laptopbattery.net/universalbatteries.html

This external pack would provide DC current into the DC i/o port. Im wondering if anyone has done this. Also, if this would work, then that means you can make your own external battery pack with rechargable nihms and plug it in that way. Its a hack, but then you can run the laptop with AA, C or D batteries (depending on how heavy you want the "hack pack" to be.

 

I see....
Well, I have an CN 5560 and the power adapter delivers 20V DC. The ext. batt pack should be working therefore.

If your planning on buying one like this, let me give you some points to consider.

-Customer service is beyond non existing, sent them emails ->never got an answer back. Walmart doesn't want to deal with it...*lol*
If you need help, you better know how to help yourself. I expected that, I bought this laptop because I was curious and it has some potential.

The good thing is: It is a nice machine.... Lots of features, batt life is alright, screen is a normal XGA so don't expect anything special. For the price it was a good deal. Now you get a Acer with about the same specs for the same amount of money. You might want to consider that.

I'm planning on upgrading the laptop to a 64 mobile, and it seems I found a 'lil snag. The CPU thats in the machine is a low watt Sempron. So, I'm not sure if the Motherboard is able to deal with a 65 Watt Mobile. I'm still trying to figure that out. (Customer service....? Hahahahaha, Google is your best friend) I was reading a review from a guy who used a 65Watt Athlon mobile and fried his Mobo.

Any input regarding upgrading is welcome...

 

Acer huh? I may check them out. I dont support companies that dont support the customers. Even if I dont buy an Acer, I can certainly say I wont buy this IC Power laptop. Thanks.

 

Yes I did. It screws down with tension springs so unscrew it a little on each side. The way it is setting in there you may have to carefully work it out. The heatsink is wedged the opposite of the processor on purpose. It shares the vga chipset cooler. When you get in there, you'll see what I mean. Make sure it all works before you bust it open and don't register windows untill you are completly done with it because you may have to install windows again based on the fact you just "removed a hamster wheel and dropped in a turbo diesel" if you know what I mean. Windows acts like that sometimes. But Like I said make sure it all works out of the box before you void the warranty & can't send it back. The motherboard can handle up to a Mobile Athlon 64 3400+ socket 754 not 939 and it must be a mobile processor or you'll see short battery life and be able to roast hotdogs off the fan exhaust! It got hot with this athlon 64 2800 I had at the house before I bought the Mobile Processor I got now. it gets as warm is it did when the sempron was in there but no more. Remember to go to AMD.com to down load the Power Now Drivers for the 64's.
Holler back if you need any more info on this.

Shawn Sepulvado

 

Well I am using the ic power laptop that I upgraded to a Mobile Athlon 64 3000+ and it works real good. He probably put a desktop processor in there like I did at first BUT left it in there because of the performance he saw not thinking about the heat and voltage difference between the two. This Mobile Athlon 64 from the 2800+ up to the 3400+ have the same voltage requirements as the Sempron in there when you open the box. Tech support sucks but if you know what your getting in to and do this, you know you can't expect tech support help you after you voided the warranty. You gotta know to modify things of this nature the only tech support you'll get is going on what you know and learn in the process. If you don't know what your doing leave it alone and spend $600-$1000 more to get the set up I got here for mmmmmmmmmm $800 total. I will say it is no Alienware but it smokes the pants off your standard "Retail" notebook.
I just put Quake 4 on it last night and it runs pretty fair @ 800 X 600 Resolution & 32 bit enviroment. Doing things like this to computers isn't for every body. Somthing to think about.

 

Hi Hedghawg

Glad to see you back.... I was on my way to upgrade the cpu and I started to research a bit. And after I read the post from the other guy, I started going after the details.
Out of the box the CN5560 uses a Sempron Sonora a 25watt low Voltage processor (AMD states actual wattage is 65).
The clawhammer has different versions... 1.5V and 1.4 Volt. My guess is, the guy used the 1.5 version (desktop replacement, also called mobile) and fried the board.

I bet your CPU is a AMN3000BIX5AP or AR? I'm trying to get my hands on a 3200... hard to find these days...

To bad the Mobo has no decent Overclocking features, guess I have to go with some 3200 Ram.

Do you remember the CPU Modelnummer? Would you share? *S*

Thanks

 

Sorry it took so long to get back to you, work has really taken over my personal life lately. Anyway, I will look at the processor later on tonight after I shut it down and I will get back to to you on it sometime this weekend. I believe you are right about the revisions though. I know mine is lidless (no top) and a few I saw on ebay and pricewatch.com wasn't. (Be weary)I will get back to you on the number though.

 

Hi Hedghawg

I already did the upgrade and things are fine.... so no worries about taking your machine apart. Thanks for the help, tho